21 October 2014

I just read an article about comprehension. A couple years ago I think I would have been skeptical of the findings. These days I am thinking that I agree with the article.I do find that my vision pattern is not the same when I read an article on my iphone. I find that my reading is very "skippy". I don't track well. Why? My theory is that I am looking for "just the facts, Ma'am". I want instant gratification from online articles.I haven't paid much attention to how I read an ebook on my Kindle or nook ereaders though. Lately, the books that I've been reading are from a favorite series or they are titles that I anticipate wanting to keep or wanting to lend and so I've been buying and reading actual printed books and not ebooks, for the most part.I've also found that my brain power has ebbed a bit the past couple of years. I do not think it is a coincidence that I have read less the last couple years. We will choose not to pay heed to the fact that time rolls on and I have a birthday tomorrow. I'm sure age has nothing to do with it.
http://mic.com/articles/99408/science-has-great-news-for-people-who-read-actual-books

01 October 2014

I was aware of this series of books for a long time. I don't recall why I didn't begin reading them while we were living in England. So many of my friends have read them. The Starz network just began airing a television series portraying the events of the books. That got my attention. I knew I needed to read the books before watching the series. Time to get started!I wanted to hurry up and begin so I bought the Kindle eBook and received an offer to buy the audiobook at a reduced price. I'm so very glad I bought the audio version. It was fantastic to hear the Scottish reader's accent and pronunciation as I read along. The ability to listen along whilst driving was a boon as I had many appointments this month. Claire is the main character of this series. The book opens by introducing us to her. She lives in England in 1943. She and her husband have spent the past five years apart, both serving in the war effort; him as a commander and her as a nurse. Finding themselves suddenly back together they head off on a getaway to get to know each other again. On the trip, her husband plans to continue some research of his family's history. One night the two of them venture off to secretly observe a midnight ritual at the stone henge in Craigh na Dun, Scotland. The next day Claire returns to the henge to gather some unusual flowers. As she does so she touches the main stone and is inexplicably transported though time. She ends up in 1743 and the story brings along Jamie Fraser. That's where things really become interesting.I really enjoy a good story. This one has great depth; I can already tell that some seemingly small things that have happened in the book are going to turn out to have great significance later. I plan to continue reading this series, and watching the show. The filming of it is spectacular but the portrayal of the characters is even better. Caitriona Balfe plays Claire and Sam Heughan is Jamie. The chemistry between the two of them is spot on. (Parental Guidance recommended) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, available at Amazon